Toronto Star: Let's use schools like the public assets they are

May 31, 2010

Christopher Hume, in response to People for Education's annual report, reflects on the disconnect between schools and communities and suggests they form part of the public realm, both literally and figuratively.

' “Schools have to be about something more than education,” explains Annie Kidder, executive director of People for Education, which released its annual report, A New Goal for Public Education: Schools at the Centre on Monday. “Today, we have a very mingy vision of education. We must learn to be more holistic.” '

Hume argues that "in the 21st century, when increasing densities and curbing car-based sprawl are the new priorities, this kind of mixed-use approach has become urgent. The truth is that we simply can’t afford to waste resources in the manner to which we are accustomed. Do we need to build a public health unit when it could be put in a school?"